The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-10-15
CALICO PRINTING.
The Msddcr style Of Applying the colors -
the Cloth.

The Msdder style Of Applying the colors -
the Cloth.
The first operation connected with
the printing of cloth is the removal Of
the surface hairs or minute threads
which communicate a fibrous down or
nap to the surface of the cloth, and il
allowed to remain. would interfere
with the uniform application Of the
colors The surface down is got rid Of
by the process of smuggling. during
which the cloth is drawn over q red
hot iron or copper bar. or plate, or
through series of gas jets. When
well singed the cloth undergocs the
process of bleaching. and is thereafter
calendered. There are several modes
of applying the colors to cloth, only
one Of which. termed the madden style,
we have space to describe.
The madden style is that In which .
certain fixing agent or mordant is
printed on the cloth. which is then in
troduced into the coloring matter. in
a dye-vat when the mordant, having
an attraction alike for the fiber of the
cloth and for the coloring matter, acts
the part of glue or paste, and dement's
the color to the cloth. Originally,
madden was the only coloring substance
employed in this style; but nowadays
by far the greater number of dye-stuffs.
vegetable and animal. including cochi-
neal, logwood, ETC., are attached to
cloth in this manner. The fixing agents
or mordants generally employed are
different strengths of red liquor (ace-
tate of alumina), iron liquor (acetate
Of iron). and mixtures of these. These
are thickened with wheat-starch, po-
tato -four. roasted starch or dextrinc,
and gum-arabic. so that the mordant
may not run when it is placed on the
cloth by the pattern-block or by the
printing machine. After the mordant
has been imprinted on the cloth, the
latter is hung in a warm, airy room.
where it can easily dry, but where II ia
at the same time surrounded by q
moist atmosphere. The result is, that
the mordant is decomposed, the acetic
acid is evolved, and the alumina o.
iron is left attached to the fiber of the
cloth in the state of an insolublc SUBJ
| salt, which can not be dissolved by
water.
As some of the mordant is still left
in its original soluble condition. it is
necessary to wash the cloth free from
this. else. during the dyeing operation,
the soluble part of the mordant would
run on to those parts of the cloth no,
intended to be colored, and thus pro.
duce blotted appearance. To obviatt
this. the cloth, having undergone the
process of drying and ageing. is Their
introduced into vat containing water
through which is diffused some COW
dung, dung substitute preparation
of bone ash, sulphuric acid, carbonate
of soda and gluc-or bran. The result
of this process of dunging is the re
moval of the soluble part of the mord
ant, as also the starch or thickenine
agent leaving the decomposed or in
soluble mordant adhering to the fiber
The terms dung-fixing. substitute-fixins
and bran-fxing have reference to th,
employment Of one or other Of thess
agents at this stage Of the operation
When tie cloth has been well washed
from the dunging. it is introduced intt
the vat or dyc-beck containing thu
coloring matter. The whole is heated
by steam pipes, and the cloth being
placed on spared reel kept in motion
is repeatedly wound out Of the vat and
returned thereto. The result is, tina
wherever the mordant adhered to tn,
cloth the coloring matter is attached
thereto, and little or no trace Of colo
adheres to the unmordanted parts.
The last operation is the clearing o.
Frightening, during which the coloret
cloth is introduced into warm baths o.
water containing soda, or for the NOR
delicate tints, bran, and is thereafter
acted on by weak acid solutions TIT
object is to clear the colors, and at TIN
same time to confer upon them tn,
property of resisting the fading actor
of the air and sun for a much longe
time. The different shades OF color which
can be obtained from the same madde
beck or vat, with different NOR
dants, is very numerous, and include
reds, lilacs, puppies. chocolates AMI
blacks. Thus, when weak solution
of red liquor (acetate Of alumina) i
employed as the mordant a Lighters
tint is produced; with stronger am
minous mordant. deep red is formed
on the cloth; with a more or less dilut,
solution of iron liquor (acetate of irony
the cloth is colored lilac. violet or pur
pie; with strong solution Of iroI
liquor, black is obtained. Indeed. tn,
same piece Of cloth stamped in differ
ent places with the various strength
of aluminous and iron mordants, ans
mixtures of these, and immersed in tn,
madden bath, will be obtained dye,
with all the shades mentioned; and IL
this manner many Of the beautiful
variagated colo-ed dresses and hand
kerchiefs are prepared for market
Ohio Farmer.